Standing Water Likely To Provide Fertile Breeding Ground

Hurricane Frances left a parting gift due to arrive by the end of the week: A swarm of mosquitoes.

South Florida -- especially Palm Beach County -- is dotted with puddles, ditches and bird baths filled with standing water that is perfect breeding turf for biting bugs, including Culex varieties that carry potentially deadly West Nile virus.

"It has been draining pretty good, but not fast enough to spare a big hatch in two or three days," Ed Walesky, director of environmental resources management for Palm Beach County, said on Wednesday.

The good news is that mosquito control officials said they are monitoring likely breeding grounds, spreading chemicals to kill larvae.

The Acreage area in western Palm Beach County was under as much as two feet of water after the storm, Walesky said, but now is nearly drained. Eastern areas are drier.

In Broward County, northern areas such as Deerfield Beach were soaked the most and have the most potential for a surge of mosquitoes, said Joseph Marhefka, the county manager of mosquito control.

Floodwater mosquitoes such as Culex lay eggs in areas that get standing water, and the eggs begin to hatch five to seven days after water arrives. With South Florida already home to 16 cases of West Nile virus, including two deaths, health officials urge people to guard against mosquito bites:

Wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors.

Stay indoors from dusk to dawn, when the bugs bite the most.

Use insecticide with DEET.

Repair holes in screening.

Eliminate standing water.

Staff Writer Anthony Man contributed to this report.

Bob LaMendola can be reached at blamendola@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4526.